Apparently Tusenårseken means The Thousand Year Oak as this Swedish project helmed by the unbelievably talented Andreas Karlsson, who also has two other acts he runs called Februus and Well Of Depression. This is his third album under this moniker and I can tell you it is ingenious and unique in equal measures.
When ‘Ode Till Alla Fattiga Krak’ begins you have a folk laden opening with pagan like clean vocal chants that thread into the austere black metal riff that follows. You get the sense that Andreas is trying to tell you a tale through these ten songs each with its own mood and ambience as the black metal aspect of the opener is very like Satyricon to my ears. The song offers a raft of changes, from riff deviations and switches in vocal tone to increases in speed making this hugely engaging from the off.
‘Våren Förgiftad’ has a serene opening sequence before it is batted aside for a full thrust blackened assault with a hypnotic repeating riff. The change to double kick is catchy and as the song returns to the blast beat there is a really ominous almost uncomfortable melody nestled into the mix. It comes across as dissonant and chaotic but is clearly intended to unsettle the listener which is inordinately does. ‘Riket Bortom Livet’ is a straight up black metal track, laced with Satyricon riffage but also some 90s styled Enslaved ferocity that I particularly enjoyed. The continually morphing tempo dynamics is superb as is the caustic harsh vocal tone as those changes in tempo abound unveiling a kick drum pulse that has a tribal like toning especially when the clean vocal chant is poured into the mix. I really do like the way the moods change on this album, enraging one moment then poignant the next and everything in between.
‘Himmelens Hand’ returns to black metal after a very brief drum intro sequence as the song is supremely catchy yet inherently caustic especially with the throaty ghoulish vocal tone that has been adopted. That weird almost dissonant ethos reappears too offering a disconcerting switch before the song drops in pace into a chaotic maelstrom of melodies and vocals that all make this such a unique listen. At seven minutes ‘Ett Hjärta Som Lättats Från Kroppen’ is the longest track and begins with stick taps and an isolated guitar riff that is despondent and morose. There is a slight ambient toning here as the pace is funereally slow and stacked with atmosphere as the harsh vocals enter the fold alongside that charismatic clean pagan style, virtually alternating through the song’s first half. The atmospherics are excellent, very subtly placed to add power and character as an acoustic section appears beautifully that leads into a blasted finale. Epic stuff indeed!
The use of Swedish folk touches doesn’t go unnoticed with the interlude piece ‘En Vila I Eländet’ leading into the excellent ‘Mörkret Inuti Allt’ replete with full blasted black metal yet is tinged with that folk like ethos through the vocals. The song is aggressive compared to other numbers with a repeating aura that crafts an unhinged assault before the pace change. I’d even say that some of the clean vocal elements are similar to the likes of Borknagar and to some degree Ereb Altor though this is far more nihilistic in tone. A tribal like feel is felt on the opening of ‘Oändligt Är Dårens Nummer’ and even though it is short-lived it gives the song a platform from which it launches into full blasted black metal along with the harsh vocal tones. The morphing vocal tones is excellent, creating exquisite drama and enduring theatrics as the blasted mayhem of the song is incessant yet controlled.
The closing track, ‘Grönskan Vi Minns’, is very similar to the opener, clean folk like vocals with a chant ethos lead into a melodic black metal thrust. As the vocals change again into the harsher variety as the song also sets loose a pagan like shroud of chanted tones that generate a tribal like feel to the songs aura. The subtle pace change is brilliant and leads the song into blast beats even if only briefly as the riff changes, hooks and melodies are hurled out in orderly but piercing fashion. I absolutely loved the Sabbath infused riff with about 100 seconds to go, it is ridiculously catchy and infectious as a vocal chant is added again before the closing ferocious finale.
A superb album on all fronts, fans of any of the bands I’ve mentioned would be wise to check Tusenårseken, you won’t be disappointed one iota.
(9/10 Martin Harris)
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